The Apocalypse - Callum
by WolfByDaylight
Summary: In the dark reaches of a post - apocalyptic Pokemon world, Callum the Scrafty is determined to survive. But when he hears a cry for help, he chooses to follow.
_Times they are a-changin'_

 _Sometimes it's too late to stop the flames_

 _After the world goes up in smoke..._

Today's rather beautiful, as it always has been up here in the mountains. But something is off - something has been for several days. Today is worse though. As always, I prepare to bottle up inside and wait for this particularly bad day to pass.

 _Someone... is anyone out there?_

The voice starts up. It's distant, and annoying. But why is there this voice? Why is it so far away.

 _I'm alone... I'm afraid... My best friend just tried to kill me..._

This gets my attention. I've seen Pokemon after Pokemon wander by - all with this odd shamble, and never speaking with a clear tone. Some of them are bleeding, some of them have parts of them clawed away or torn off. Pokemon not like this are often killed by those that shamble and eaten. It's grotesque. Sometimes they beg the others for mercy, or to remember. Sometimes they even try to fight back. But more often they just give up before being killed and eaten.

The voice grows desperate. I sigh. It isn't my business, but I've never been good at keeping out of things like this. I grab the crossbow on the wall of my den and step out of my secure home.

 _Ruins standing lonely_

Relics we called home once now a grave

That grows and grows

That grows and grows

It's been a long time since I left the cave. The world is quiet, aside from the occasional distorted groan. I remember before the war. So many Pokemon would have friendly battles, or small scuffles for food. Some Pokemon would hunt others. I remember our old den. I'm alone now... And it's my own fault.

When the bomb dropped, the world changed. I, Elisa and every other wild Pokemon could sense something... very off. Then the sirens started and we ran, Elisa carrying our precious egg. We got away safely to a cave. The humans had seemingly set up a walk route through the cave. The countless explosions still sounded outside. I wondered how many people and Pokemon had died... the explosions carried to over our heads. I heard creaking and ran to a crack in the wall and called to her. Before she could get to me, the roof fell in. I was the only survivor. If I'd pulled her arm, if I'd done something, she and our egg would still be alive...

 _It was the day_

Day that we refused to die

When the fire changed

Changed the color of our skies

There's a screech. I look up to see a mangled Braviary diving towards me, its torn apart and bleeding talons open.

I swore, and realizing it didn't have any sanity left fired one of my precious bolts at it. It died before it could finish its dive, the bolt flying into its mouth and sticking into the back of its throat. The corpse fell inches away from me.

The bolt was easy to pull out, but it was covered in a layer of blood. The dead creature convulsed, thick black blood shooting from its mouth. It's disgusting. I chose not to bury the foul thing. After all, perhaps these disgusting zombie-like Pokemon would find a small feast in it rather than in me.

The voice has stopped, but instinct tells me to keep going. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong...

 _We remember_

 _All the loved ones that it burned_

 _They were the lucky ones_

 _'Cause the fallout will be worse_

My suspicions were soon proven correct. An Espeon, not showing any signs of the insane Pokemon was entwined in vines. They were tightly bound around his neck, choking him. Other vines tangled his limbs, and were pulling each in a different direction. A Sunflora sat in front of him, laughing at his suffering.

Anger flooded me, and before I knew what I was doing I was already jumping, one foot glowing red with the power of a Hi-Jump-Kick. My attack slammed into the Sunflora, and I bounced off it. The cowardly creature dove underground as a Flame Punch charged up. The vines retreated, releasing the Espeon from his suffering and letting him fall to the ground.

 _Endurance being tested_

 _Found no place to rest_

 _So give me strength_

 _To push forward Through this desolate track_

I decharged the Flame Punch and ran to his side, quickly checking to see if I had a Sitrus Berry. He struggles to stand up, then sees me and crouches, his ears falling back onto his head. He growls at me.

"Are you okay?" I ask him. He doesn't answer. I hold out the berry. "Here. Eat this." His ears perk back up, showing he does recognize the berry. Cautiously, he stretches out a paw and takes it, chomping down on the fruit. He shakes at the sour taste, but swallows anyway.

"Thank you..." He mumbles.

"Oh, so you can talk? I was beginning to think that the Sunflora had taken your tongue as well!" The Espeon smiled weakly. "So, I'm Callum." I offer a paw to the Espeon. "What's your name?"

"Espy..."

"Well, Espy, was it you who called for help?"

"Yeah... Are you a wild Pokemon?"

The question catches me a little off guard. Does this mean he belongs to a trainer? I'm suddenly a lot more wary and suspicious of this Espeon... His trainer could be anywhere. I better make sure.

"Yes. I am a wild Pokemon. Do you belong to a trainer?"

My heart skips a beat when he answers.

"I used to belong to a trainer... she tried to kill me... and then a Sunflora appeared, calming me down only to string me up and try to kill me as well, saying that in this new world, it's kill or be killed..." He begins to cry. "I don't want to live in a world like that. I wish things had stayed the way they were originally..."

Elisa had once said I could stop a raging Tauros just by talking to it. Apparently I was just good at comforting others. I never really believed her, Tauros are so thick skulled they probably wouldn't have listened, but I guess it was worth a shot.

"Hey, not all of us believe in that. I mean, if I did you'd probably be dead. While I see his point, I believe in trying to help others, putting myself in harm's way if I have to. Come on, why don't I take you up the mountain and give ya a few things? If you want you can pick em from my stash." He gives me an uncertain look. "Or you can stay out here and have Zombie Bravairy dive bomb you. Your choice."

His psychic abilities lift a small handgun. Where in Arceus' name did he get that thing?! "Okay... Let's go."

He obviously doesn't trust me. So why is he accepting my offer? I guess it was tempting?.. I mean, he can handle himself against the Bravairy and any others if he's got a gun... I decide not to ponder on it any longer and help him up the mountain.

 _Companion at my side_

 _My family just like mankind_

 _Now in shreds_

 _Locked in our home_

 _No going back..._

We soon come to the corpse of the Bravairy. Its eyes have glazed over, the blood has pooled and its would - be - impressive head plumage is stained with the tarish substance.

"What did that?" Espy stared at the lifeless corpse, eventually getting the courage to nudge its neck feathers gently. More blood pours out of its gaping beak.

"Me." I reply calmly. He stares at me and his eyes drift to my crossbow.

"With that thing?"

"Yes." "How was that flimsy bit of wood able to do that much damage?"

His ears twitch and his head swivels quickly to stare over the cliff. "We need to find shelter. Now."

"Why? Can't we wait a little? I mean, we just need to climb a bit more to get up to my den..."

"Don't you hear it?"

For a few seconds, I hear nothing but thunder rumbling in the distance. I am about to ask him why he's afraid of storms when I hear what he is referring to. "FLYYYYYY!" The shrill cry of a Flygon hits me like a bullet. He's right. We have to get up to my cave quickly. Before it comes for us. We run up the path until we come to the wall. I climb up, and remembering that he couldn't climb, grab onto a branch. I extend a paw down to him. He takes it without second thought.

He's surprisingly light. Or maybe its my typical fighting - type strength? Either way, he's easy to pull up. We run into the cave before it can arrive and see us. I roll a rock in front and Flame Punch a thick stick with a lot of paperbark woven through and around it. It ignites immediately and we can see again. He looks around in wonder.

"How did someone so silly as to use a crossbow rather than a gun set up something like this?" Well, he sure is considerate. I'm beginning to regret saving him. "Why do you use a crossbow anyway?"

"Tradition." He looks at me with confused eyes. I guess he isn't really familiar with the concept. "This crossbow was used by my mother... her father before her, his father before him and his mother was the one to craft it. We have always used this crossbow. Never a bow, never a sword, never a gun."

"But... Aren't guns quicker? And more likely to kill whatever you shoot at?"

"Yes, but it's also quieter. And if you have spent as long as I have becoming familiar with the weapon, and practice aiming it on a hairtrigger and spending less than a second on firing. If you are as skilled at using it as I am, it is just as lethal as a gun. They're better for hunting because they don't disturb the prey."

All pokemon are either herbivores or omnivores. And all omnivores need to eat a bit of meat sometimes. I'm sure he understands. But then again as a Trainer's Pokemon perhaps all he's ever eaten are those brown pellets? "Have you ever hunted?" I ask.

He glares at me. "I wasn't in a Pokeball my entire life, you know. I was captured when I was an Eevee, but I have hunted before. However, I mostly just used my claws and fangs. And I could only hunt small things."

My stomach growled. It was only then I realized just how hungry I was. "So, do you want anything to eat?" I walk over to my storage.

"Yes, erm... what do you have and what can I have?" I pluck out a Cheri and let him go through my berry stash. He selects a Micle. I guess he must like dry food? Not surprising for someone owned by a trainer. I wonder what its like to have one... to be a human's slave. Most wild Pokemon were jealous of Pokemon trained by humans. Not me. I was content with being wild and doing whatever I wanted rather then being someone's pet and tool. Not that I have anything against humans...

"So... if what that Sunflora implied is true..." He leaps in alarm, a Psyshock prepared if I was to try and attack him. "Relax! I'm not gonna attack you!" He relaxes. Thankfully. Not that the Psyshock would have had any affect. The Dark type immunity to Psychic type attacks can come in useful. "What I'm saying is, if Pokemon like that Bravairy and the Sunflora are gonna be trying to follow through in that motto, we might be safer if we team up, you know?"

Espy looks confused. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying strength comes in numbers. And if we have eachother's back, maybe we'll get through this apocalypse."

"I don't get it... all you've seen of me is getting captured, almost getting killed and you having to save my sorry tail..."

"Hey, no 'mon left behind. Besides, if I judged everyone by first impressions I wouldn't have..." I couldn't finish that sentence. But he seemed to get the point.

"Alright... I guess it couldn't hurt to team up... So, should we stay hiding or go wandering for supplies and see if we can find other survivors?"

"I say we wait a little. Until the storm and that Flygon have passed."

Espy nods. He curls up into the corner. "Well, if we're gonna go out soon we're probably gonna need some rest... but how do I know you aren't gonna kill me in my sleep?"

"Mate, look. If I wanted you dead, I would have left you to die to the Sunflora. And if I was ever gonna kill you, you'd be awake. You'd be facing me, and you'd have to be trying to kill me. I am not a murderer."

That convinces him. "Well... goodnight, then."

"Goodnight. We'll go exploring tomorrow, friend... Maybe we'll find someone else."

As I also begin to drift off to sleep, I can't help but think of them... Oh Arceus... I hope they survived... My old friends... I left you for love... Are you out there?.. My first daughter... are you out there somewhere? I couldn't find your body in the slide. I couldn't see you when the roof fell. I hope you are alive and safe...

Sleep finally claims me and I dream of the blissful life we all wanted to share.


End file.
